For a man who could build an lron Man suit in a cave, proposing should have been easy. But Tony had never been good with simple, heartfelt things—especially when it came to you.

The sun was just beginning to dip beneath the horizon, turning the Malibu shoreline gold. Waves rolled lazily toward the sand, their rhythm soft and steady, the polar opposite of the storm in Tony’s chest. He sat beside you on a blanket, his arm brushing yours, the warmth of your presence grounding him more than any arc reactor ever could.

“You know,” Tony started, trying to sound casual but failing miserably, “I’ve bought a lot of expensive things in my life—cars, buildings, even that one island I don’t really remember the name of. But I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous about something I bought than I am right now.”

You blinked at him, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Why do I feel like that’s your way of saying you did something reckless again?”

Tony laughed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “Reckless? Maybe. But for once, it’s not about me. It’s about us.”

You tilted your head, confusion and warmth mixing in your chest. “Us?”

Tony shifted, pulling something from his jacket pocket. He didn’t drop to one knee—of course he didn’t. That wasn’t his style. Instead, he took your hand, his thumb brushing against your skin as he opened the small velvet box. The ring inside was classic but bold, a dazzling band of white gold and a diamond that caught the setting sun and fractured it into a hundred tiny stars. It was Tony kind of big, but not showy—just stunning, like he’d chosen it because it reminded him of you.

“I’ve spent years pretending I could do this life alone,” he said quietly, his voice unusually steady. “But then you showed up, and suddenly… the idea of not having you in it? Not an option. I know I’m a mess half the time, but I want to spend every day trying to be the man you already think I am. So, what do you say? Stay with me. Always. Marry me?”

For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent, just the waves and Tony’s nervous, sharp inhale. You blinked at the ring, then at him, your throat tightening. “Tony…”

He smirked, though his eyes gave away his nerves. “If you say no, I’m jumping in the ocean, by the way. And I didn’t bring a suit that’s waterproof, so this is kind of a big risk for me.”